Blk Dnm enters a new phase of its business with a rebrand that repositions the denim and sportswear brand as an “entry-luxury” brand.
The Swedish-American brand, pronounced “Black Denim,” said Thursday it is rebranding to bring the former midmarket brand into the entry-luxury category with a new logo, upgraded aesthetic and retail strategy. The rebrand is headed by creative director Jessy Heuvelink, who joined the label last March.
“Blk Dnm has an excellent international reputation and distinctive identity, but needed a new design direction to make it more modern and relevant,” said Blk Dnm Chief Executive Officer Toni Collin. “Under Jessy’s creative direction, through his new collections and through a rebrand and new logo, Blk Dnm becomes more elevated and sophisticated, and returns to our core pillars of tailoring, leather and denim.”
The rebrand begins with the Fall 2023 Blk Dnm men’s and women’s collections, which draw inspiration from the original brand by elevating its core styles with higher quality fabrics and a greater focus on tailoring.
“With the repositioning of the brand, we’re touching more on the entry-luxury level, but we’re not raising prices for the sake of it,” explained Heuvelink, who previously worked in the design departments of Christian Lacroix, J. Lindeberg and Adidas. “We pay a lot more attention to using the best fabrics and ensuring that the garments are produced in the right way and using traditional tailoring methods. I really believe in investment clothing — for example, if you want something beautiful and that will last you a lifetime, that you can maybe pass down to the next generation. I’d rather our customers buy less, but buy better.”
Styles from Blk Dnm’s Fall 2023 Men’s Collection.
Ninja Hanna
Blk Dnm’s Fall 2023 collection features denim, leather and cuts that have been the focus of the brand since its inception in 2010 by designer Johan Lindeberg. (Lindeberg left the brand in 2015 to focus on other creative pursuits.)
Heuvelink designed the collection in a predominantly black color palette, with suits, separates, denim pieces, outerwear and dresses on offer for men and women. The creative director explained that he had countless sources of inspiration for the collections, including the 60s and 70s, cowboys and fashion icons such as Bianca Jagger, Jane Birken and Stevie Nicks, among others.
Instead of creating pieces that fit seasonal trends, Heuvelink wanted to design elevated staples that are key styles in every customer’s wardrobe.
“I don’t want to keep reinventing the wheel,” he said. “Instead, I want to establish a wardrobe where people can come and buy the pieces they love. Next season, maybe they’ll find little variations of that and maybe find new pieces that they’d like to add to their wardrobe.”
Heuvelink explained that the men’s and women’s collections are intertwined and draw inspiration from each other, with pieces such as men’s suits inspiring tailored women’s pieces and silk women’s pieces appearing in the men’s collection.
Blk Dnm’s Fall 2023 men’s collection debuted at Pitti Uomo last month. The brand plans to hold press previews during New York Fashion Week to debut the full Fall 2023 collection. Collection prices range from $200 to $300 for denim, $1,300 to $3,000 for tailored pieces and $990 to $3,000 for leather.
Along with the rebranding, Blk Dnm presents a new retail strategy. The brand is opening a flagship in New York this fall, and plans to open others in major cities around the world in the next few years.